Android updates are rolling out faster than ever

While Google Pixel owners are the first to receive the newest version of Android, these smartphones are not very widespread among users worldwide.

Most Android users have third-party devices which use their own Android skins, which can drastically slow the rollout of updates to these smartphones.

In recent years, however, the rollout of new Android versions has improved across most smartphone models – according to an investigation by Android Authority.

According to the report, Android 7.0 (Nougat) took 192 days to roll out to major devices, Android 8.0 (Oreo) rolled out in 170 days, and Android 9.0 (Pie) reached key devices in only 118 days.

Most manufacturers have improved their update delivery rate over the years, including Samsung, Huawei, Sony, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.

This faster rollout of new Android versions to third-party devices could be attributed to Google’s Project Treble programme, which aims to make it easier for OEMs to roll out updates to their smartphones.

It should be noted that mid-range devices still generally receive updates long after flagship smartphones, but the update rollout speed for these devices is also steadily improving.

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